In 1993, the Pittsburgh Pirates signed amateur International Free Agent outfielder Jose Guillen. He was just 16 years of age when he signed, but he moved quickly through the minor league system. Guillen slugged his way up the Pittsburgh Pirates farm and made his début at the beginning of the 1997 season.
Guillen was just 21 years of age when he made his major league début in a Bucco uniform. However, he was the top prospect the Pittsburgh Pirates had in years and they desperately needed a player to energize the fanbase. Overall, Guillen had a pretty solid rookie season.